1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image controlling device and method thereof, and more particularly relates to an image controlling device and method thereof capable of displaying a plurality of menu items and executing a function for allotting a selected menu item by a user selecting one menu item from a number of menu items.
2. Description of the Related Art
Graphical User Interfaces (hereinafter referred to as "GUI's") are currently the most commonly used construct. A graphically represented user interface displays menu items expressed by a bitmap (two dimensional data) on a display device such a CRT display. With these kinds of GUI's, the user selects one menu item from a plurality of menu items arranged in a two dimensional plane by shifting a cursor using a keyboard and/or a mouse, with the functions corresponding to this menu item then being executed by a prescribed program.
For example, the menu shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a GUI where character data generated by a character generator is displayed as bitmap data. With this kind of menu, character strings are generated for each of the menu items and the generated character strings are listed in a planar manner and displayed on the screen. A prescribed character is then handled as a cursor, the user shifts the cursor using a keyboard and/or mouse etc. and one of the menu items (character strings) is selected in such a manner that the function to be executed is selected.
Further, with the menu shown in FIG. 2, image data is put to bitmap data and button-shaped menu items are generated, with the plurality of menu items generated being put side by side in a planar manner. One of these menu items (buttons) is then selected by the user shifting the cursor on the screen using an input device such as a mouse and the function to be executed is selected.
With this kind of menu where a GUI is displayed in a planer manner with menu items lined-up next to each other, when a number of menu items which cannot be shown to the user collectively on the screen are to be displayed, first, the number of menu items which it is possible to display are displayed and the remaining menu items are displayed in a new picture by a user designation or displayed by scrolling down the screen so that all of the menu items are displayed to the user.
When the user selects a menu item using this kind of method, there are cases where the picture display displaying the menu items changes dramatically between the initial picture and the new picture. Operation can therefore become confusing if a change is not made to a picture whose relationship with the picture before changing can be easily understood, as it is necessary for the user to have an image for the relationship between the picture before changing and after changing.
Further, when the cursor is shifted and a menu item is selected, it is necessary for the point of view of the user to follow the cursor and the position of the point of view is therefore separated from the menu item to be selected. As a result, when the menu item display becomes small or the number of menu items becomes large, it is difficult for the user to understand the relationships of the positions of the cursor and the menu items to be selected, with this therefore putting a load on the operation of the user selecting a menu item.
When a desired menu item is searched for with these kinds of two-dimensional (planar) GUI's, when displaying is carried out down to the menu item positioned at the end of the menu and the desired menu item has not been found, the original image is returned to and the desired menu item has to once more be searched for in the reverse direction.
The menu item selection operation is therefore complicated because an end exists to the menu. A menu item selection operation has therefore been considered where a three-dimensional GUI is constructed in imaginary three-dimensional space so as to eliminate the ends of the menu, with the user then carrying out a menu item selection operation by freely moving within this three-dimensional space.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, virtual reality (VR) providing realistic reproductions in three-dimensional space is utilized, a metaphorical imitation of, for example, a building is provided within the virtual space and menu items are arranged about this metaphor. A user interface can then be considered where the user moves within the virtual space as though moving through real space and selects menu items.
However, operativity becomes poor when the user selects menu items because the constructed menu space becomes complicated. It is also necessary to use an arithmetic device (central processing unit) capable of processing graphics at high speed because complicated graphics processing is necessary.